week 5 Flashcards
Ontology
A branch of philosophy that is concerned with the assumptions we make about the nature of being, existence reality
assumptions- about the nature of reality is one of the core aspects of qualitative research, Shape research methods
Epistemology
A branch of philosophy that is concerned with questions about what constitutes valid knowledge and how we can obtain it-in other words, questions about how we can know and what we can know
Realism
Reality exists independent of the human mind and can be accessed through research.
Positivism / Post-positivism
A researcher can have confidence that in their understanding of reality if their research methods are objective and rigorous.
Relativism
“Reality” is dependent on the ways we come to know it.
Interpretivism, constructionism, constructivism etc.
Findings should be treated as versions of reality, as reality is dependent on how we come to know it.
Reflectivity
Acknowledgement by the researcher of the role played by their interpretative frameworks or speaking position
Personal reflexivity
The way in which the research is shaped by the research is shaped by the researcher’s own background, identities, interests, views
Discursive reflexivity
Detailed attention to the role of the researcher in the research process
Epistemological reflexivity
The way in which the research is shaped by theoretical assumptions, research questions, methods of data collection
Generated or produced
Data is produced for research purposes
Collected or selected
Data is selected for research purposes
Data management
Qualitative data is voluminous
A clear data management plan is essential and should be decided when developing a study
Who transcribes the interview
The researcher- more immersed in the data and was present during the interview
However it is time consuming and not always feasible
Who transcribes the interview
Software or AI generated transcripts quick but are not always accurate and can struggle with accents
These are from an automated transcript from a research project meeting- without having prior understanding
Transcription
Ethical dilemma: how will you depict and represent what your participant is saying
A transcript is a textual representation of the data
Transcription involves interpretation by the transcriber and making subjective decisions
Types of transcription
Playscript or orthographic transcript: Focus on content and meaning, easily readable to the uninitiated. Orthographic representation, standard spelling and punctuation. Limited transcription of paralinguistic and extra linguistic features
Jeffersonian: Focus on active language use, difficult to read at first, uses non-orthographic representation, lots of paralinguistic detail. Limited extra-linguistic features
Jeffersonian Transcription
Developed by Gail Jefferson in the 1960s for conversation analysis
Transcribing conventions used to render naturally occurring talk-in-interaction
Playscript or orthographic transcript
Orthographic transcripts are verbatim: word of word
Important to check the audio and your transcript: Omission, wrong punctuations, and mis-hearing words can change what was said and the potential meaning behind what was said
Each speakers should be identified: For participants-pseudonym-not actual name
For interviewer/ researcher-labelled by their role
New line for each turn of talk
All transcription takes time
Transcription takes a long time to do
The quality of the audio will determine how long it takes
Do not be tempted to rush
Theoretical issues when transcribing
Different perspectives on the transcription process: Transcription is a voice-to-text process with strict procedures to ensure accuracy. Transcription is a straightforward task, and a verbatim transcript provides an accurate representation of the interview
Transcripts are constructed by the researcher and is an interactive process
Ethics and transcription confidentiality
British Psychological society
You must make every effort to preserve confidentiality.
This will involve changing participants names and the names of people mentioned in the data.
Pseudonyms (fake names) can be used.
Personal data
Data which relate to a living individual who can be identified from those data. Data about the individual possessed by the researcher
Sensitive personal data:
Race, ethnic origin, political opinions and more
Pseudonymised data still personal data
Pseudonymised data replaces or removes identifiable data from a data-set about an individual.
Pseudonymised data is a security measure to help protect a participant’s identity.
You must ensure participants are not re-identified from the data
Process of anonymising and pseudonymising qualitative data
Audio and video recording can be anonymised: Delete names and other personal information from recordings, change the pitch of participants’ voices. Blur faces and use filters
Process of anonymising and pseudonymising qualitative data
Anonymising transcripts
Replace names and other personal information with equivalent pseudonyms or descriptions
Aim for equivalent forms
Ben → Ted (same number of syllables, gender, first name)
Ben → Mary
Use a name generator
Cumulative nature of information
You should think about identifiable information – this information is cumulative.
Deciding whether it is necessary to change or redact such information involves asking the following questions:
Could the participant be identifiable to others reading this research?
Is this information relevant and important for the research question?
If you are going to be using specific information, it is important the participant is aware of this in the information sheet and informed consent is provided.
Cumulative nature of information
You must ensure that it is not possible for someone to re-identify a participant.
You should think about identifiable information – this information is cumulative.
For example, if I were to participate in an interview about experiences of lecturers in the UK, certain information may help others re-identify me from the data.
Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS)
Sophisticated computer programmes to facilitate qualitative research
Managing and organising the large volumes of data
Supporting you to do the analysis (depending on the method – not always suitable!)
Some software can facilitate transcription too!
A popular example: Nvivo
Do I need to use software to do the analysis?
What is NVivo
Helps to organise your data
A way to store everything securely in one place
Assists in coding
Assists in analysis
Provides features such as wordcloud, visual maps
You are still responsible for analysing the data.
Personal reflections on using NVivo
Pros.
Nvivo can help keep large volumes of data organised.
Depending on the analysis Nvivo can make the process easier and faster.
Nvivo has analytic tools and approaches to easily visualise the data.
Easy to identify quotes and data extracts.
Overall, a very useful tool to assist qualitative research.
Cons.
You need to learn how to use the software which can take time.
Nvivo is not free (but most universities have a subscription).
Need access to Nvivo to access your analysis.
If there is a lot of data, Nvivo can freeze (does not automatically save…)
